The Tidewater News would like to see as many youngsters as possible and their parents show up for Saturday’s, June 12, Child Safety and Protection Festival.

Attending could pay off.

According to the website Our Child Safe.com, more than 350,000 family abductions occur each year. That is nearly 1,000 per day.

About 163,000 of these cases involve the concealment of a child, transporting out of state or intent to keep the child permanently.

And according to USA Today, a study conducted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, examined 403 attempted kidnappings by strangers or slight acquaintances that were reported by police or news media in 45 states from February 2005 to July 2006.

The study did not look at successful abductions. Six in ten victims fought back and escaped, according to the ongoing study’s initial findings. Three in 10 ran away before any physical contact, and about 10 percent were saved when an adult nearby intervened.

It’s important to have your child fingerprinted and photographed because you never know when something could happen. You never know when you could become one of these statistics.

The free festival at The Tidewater News will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the newspaper office at 1000 Armory Drive.

All children will receive an identification card courtesy of New York Life Insurance Co. Children will be fingerprinted and Franklin Police Department will take photos.

The day will include some fun too.

Disc jockey Wayne Cooke will play music and Franklin Fire Department will have equipment on display. The day will include military demonstrations, inflatables, an obstacle course, children’s games and activities, face painting, balloons, snow cones and cotton candy.

So take some time to stop by.